Why Disability Employment Awareness Month Matters

Each October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) shines a well-deserved spotlight on the talents, skills, and vital contributions of people with disabilities in the workforce. It’s a time to celebrate progress, raise awareness, and push back against long-standing barriers.

Despite decades of advocacy, people with disabilities continue to face disproportionate challenges in the labor market. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2024 only about 22.7% of people with disabilities were employed, compared to nearly 67% of those without disabilities. Even among working-age adults, the rate rises only to 37.4% — leaving a wide gap.

People with disabilities are also more likely to face unemployment and to be limited to part-time work. These numbers don’t reflect capability — they reflect bias, structural barriers, and missed opportunity. Inaccessible job applications, rigid schedules, and employer misconceptions continue to exclude millions from the dignity and independence that meaningful work brings.

Inclusion in Action

In Berkshire County, Johnathan Jenkins — who receives support from Nonotuck — has worked at Guido’s Fresh Marketplace in Pittsfield, MA, since 2010. There, he bags groceries, returns baskets and carts, and forms close friendships with his coworkers. His job provides not just a paycheck, but a network, a sense of purpose, and a place in the rhythm of community life.

“I am a happy and polite Guido’s employee,” Johnathan says. “Guido’s makes me happy. I love the people I work with.”

Stories like Johnathan’s remind us that inclusion isn’t theoretical — it’s personal. It’s about ensuring that everyone has the chance to contribute, to connect, and to belong. He’s one of numerous people Nonotuck supports who enrich their communities by working in them.

Building Stronger Communities

When people with disabilities work alongside their neighbors, they’re not defined by their disability — they are teammates, mentors, and friends. Meaningful employment fosters mutual respect and interdependence, values that are at the heart of Nonotuck’s mission. Communities thrive when everyone can contribute their skills and creativity, and businesses prosper when they embrace inclusion.

Creating equitable access to work isn’t just a moral responsibility — it’s an affirmation of our shared humanity. When we remove barriers to employment, we enrich the fabric of our communities and build workplaces that reflect the diversity and compassion we all value.

That’s what Disability Employment Awareness Month — and our work year-round — is truly about.